


stitching our hearts

by glitterjungwoo



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Angst, Car Accidents, Cheating, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, ITS NOT BETWEEN DOWOO, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Injury Recovery, M/M, Mutual Pining, Patient!Doyoung, Relationship Issues, Slow Burn, not between dowoo, nurse!Jungwoo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-07 12:53:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18621028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glitterjungwoo/pseuds/glitterjungwoo
Summary: After a near fatal car accident lands Doyoung in the hospital for a month, fresh out of nursing school Jungwoo is assigned to him. With Doyoung having just been broken up with his short term boyfriend, and Jungwoo dealing with an increasingly unhappy relationship with Jaehyun, the two will end up healing each other in ways that don't require bandages and gauze.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hi guys! I've been working on this fanfic for weeks doing the outline and getting everything written. I've been wanting to show you guys this the minute the idea came into my head and I'm so happy to finally publish it!
> 
> Warning: although the car crash description isn't graphic, I still just want to put a little warning for it just in case it is something that makes people upset. I would hate for me not to warn anyone and have it hurt someone.
> 
> last thing! you can follow me on twitter [@glitterjungwoo](https://twitter.com/glitterjungwoo)  
> for any updates and possible snippets of future chapters!
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated and I would really love to hear any feedback on this <3

_“Look, Doyoung, I don’t think that it’s working out between us. We just…aren’t compatible with each other. I hope you can understand and that there’s no hard feelings between us.”_

 

_“But Taeyong I thought everything was going fine? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”_

 

_“I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to break your heart.”_

 

_“It still ended up happening anyways. Nothing you could do could make it hurt less.”_

 

_“I know Doyoung. I’m really sorry for everything. I hope that we can still be friends maybe…sometime in the future. I figure you probably might not want to see me for some time.”_

 

_“Yeah, sure.”_

 

Their last conversation kept playing through Doyoung’s head. Every time there was another re-run it would leave a bitter taste in Doyoung’s mouth. It would creep up on him during the most inconvenient times. 

 

Maybe that’s why he couldn’t spot the red pickup truck.

 

Doyoung had been driving back home after another day of work at the office. After going through another day of endlessly looking through company’s finances, he was ready to have a glass of wine and drown himself in his bathtub full of sparkly bath bomb water. He needed to treat himself after a hell of a few days he’s been through. After getting dumped by his boyfriend of two months and having a sudden surge increase of his workload he had just about had it. The overtime hours would feel good in his bank account but it definitely doesn’t feel good when his eyes burn after looking at the documents on his computer screen for hours trying to pull them apart.

 

After working until almost 10 PM, Doyoung was finally going home. He was one of the last few that left the office and it was strange seeing the little cubicles after hours. It almost felt like a ghost town in that small space. 

 

It was a Friday night, so the streets were busy with cars heading for the downtown area that the office was located at. There were bars, fancy restaurants, and cozy cafes all along the streets of the downtown area. It brought in people from all over on the weekends and he was dreading the traffic back to his apartment. Although it was only a 10 minute drive, Doyoung could already picture himself sitting in traffic for an hour.

 

He was currently at a red light, watching the cars and pedestrians pass by in front of him. There were groups of friends chatting loudly and teenage couples hand in hand.  Doyoung remembered when he was younger and would be in the same position as they were. It had been a fun time during his years of college, he missed being able to be so carefree. Now it was just him and his job, barely any room for anything in between. Maybe that’s why Taeyong had left him.

 

The light turns green.

 

_“It’s not working out…”_

 

Doyoung releases his foot on the brake and steps on the gas.

 

_“We just aren’t…compatible…with each other…”_

 

There’s loud honks coming from his left, Doyoung turns around in time to see the headlights of the car that’s coming straight at him. There’s no time for him to react, and he shuts his eyes in hopes that it’ll reduce the impact somehow.

 

_“I hope you can understand.”_

 

Doyoung hears the crushing of metal, and the airbags releasing, before it all just fades to black.

 

 

 

 

 

_“…he’s in a critical state…driver’s side door was struck in the middle of the intersection…”_

 

_“…The man was intoxicated…going 20 over the speed limit…”_

 

_“Send the patient into the intensive care unit…operation needed immediately…”_

 

Everything was dark, and there were voices that Doyoung didn’t recognize coming in and out. He tried to open his eyes but everything hurt all over, and there were bright lights everywhere. 

 

He tried to speak but all that could come out was muffled mumbling and he immediately heard a loud voice.

 

“The patient is conscious! Someone get the anesthesia ready. Once he’s under we’ll start the operation.”

 

Operation? Why was Doyoung in the hospital? Why did his body feel like lead?

 

He felt a mask being put over his face and within seconds he drifted off again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sound of an alarm blaring in his ears, followed by someone battering him with a pillow is the first thing that Jungwoo experienced on a lovely Monday morning.

 

“Jungwoo get your ass up! You’re going to be late for your first day! Also your alarm is super annoying and woke all of us up, Jaemin and Renjun demand pancakes as compensation.”

 

Jungwoo immediately shot out of bed and looked at his younger brother, “holy shit Jeno! Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?”

 

Jeno smacks him again, this time getting him straight in the face, “don’t you think I tried?! You sleep like the dead dude! Anyways, I have to go to class soon and Jasmine and Renjun want pancakes!”

 

“Yah Jeno! Ask nicely and maybe I’ll do it for you guys.”

 

Jeno pouts and says, “please, pretty please hyung will you please make me and my boyfriends pancakes. If not for me then maybe to save yourself from a hangry Jaemin who was woken up by YOUR alarm by the way.”

 

He got him there, Jungwoo sometimes had nightmares about a certain Na Jaemin where he would be hangry and Jungwoo had no food to give him. He was usually a very smiley boy and a ray of sunshine, but in the mornings and when he was hungry it was like they were dealing with a completely different person.

 

“Okay, okay I’ll be there in a sec. Did you see any messages from Jaehyun on my phone?” Jungwoo asks.

 

Jeno shook his head, “no but I saw one from Johnny from like an hour ago.”

 

“Ah that’s okay, Jaehyun is probably busy with his team. They’ve been practicing a lot for their upcoming season.”

 

Jeno sighs, “whatever you say Jungwoo, anyways I’m going to be in the kitchen right now. Jaemin still doesn’t know how to use the keurig properly.”

 

His younger brother walks out of the room to join his boyfriends in the kitchen. Jungwoo picks up his phone and finally turns off the dreaded alarm that had been blaring in the background. He sees the text from Johnny, his classmate and close friend in nursing school, and it brings a smile to his face.

 

_Johnny: happy first day to us! I started at 5 AM today and I’m slumped,,,hopefully we get to see each other when you come in! Anyways I have to go now but I’m just!!! So happy!!!_

 

Jungwoo was happy that his best friend was so ecstatic. He and Johnny had spent countless hours studying in coffee shops and in each other’s apartments for their exams and to see them now starting their first day at a hospital made him emotional. Jungwoo checked to see if Jaehyun sent him anything, and as Jeno had stated there were no new messages from him. He didn’t want to admit that it made him a bit upset in front of Jeno, his younger brother was already not much of a fan of his boyfriend. Ever since they started dating almost a year ago, Jeno has done is best to be civil with him for Jungwoo’s sake, but Jungwoo could tell that it pained him to do so.

 

Jungwoo decides that he should give Jaehyun a call, his texts would sometimes go ignored for hours and he just needed to hear his voice right now. He got the call set up and held his phone to his ear, listening to the dial tone ring out. After about 3 rings his boyfriend picks up the phone.

 

_“Hey babe, what’s up?”_

 

Jungwoo smiles, “hi baby! I just woke up and didn’t see any messages from you and I figured you were busy. I just wanted to hear your voice before my big day.”

 

_“Big day? What’s happening today?”_

 

“Jaehyun...I told you about it weeks ago. And on Saturday when we had our date,” Jungwoo frowns. Ignoring the sinking feeling in his stomach.

 

_“Oh are you going to get your hair dyed again?”_

 

Jungwoo sighed, “no Jaehyun. No I’m not. It’s my first day at the hospital today.”

 

_“Ooooh okay yeah, yeah I remember. Anyways, I really have to go now. We have a meeting with the team and I can’t be late. Also, gonna have to cancel our reservation at that Italian place for tonight. Something came up with the team and I can’t miss it. We can plan for another day right?”_

 

“But Jaehyun those reservations took months to secure! We’ll have to wait forever to be able to get new ones!” Jungwoo was now really exasperated. As each minute passed by while he was on the phone with Jaehyun, Jungwoo felt himself getting more and more upset. 

 

_“Sorry babe, but you know how important these things are. I’ll call you once you’re off work okay?”_

 

Let’s see if he can even remember too, Jungwoo thought to himself. “Okay baby, make sure to call okay? I love you.”

 

_“Alright talk to you later I gotta go-"_

 

The line cuts out and Jungwoo reaches for his pillow. He brings it up to his face and lets out the loudest and longest scream he can muster at 8 AM. After getting it out of his system, he throws it against the wall and walks out of his room.

 

Jungwoo walks into the kitchen to see his brother and his two boyfriends sitting at the table with a laptop open playing cartoons in the middle of it. 

 

“Alright guys who wants pancakes!”

 

“I do!” The three of them yelled.

 

Jungwoo smiles and quickly gets the pancake mix out. Renjun gets out of his seat and begins to help Jungwoo get the other ingredients out. Jeno cuddles a still cranky Jaemin and the both of them watch their cartoons quietly, occasionally looking at the progress of their breakfast.

 

“Did you guys stay up late last night?” Jungwoo asks Renjun.

 

“Yeah, especially Nana. He had a big assignment due at midnight and he was barely able to get it turned in fifty seconds before the deadline,” he replies.

 

Poor things, if he had to be in that position he would be a bit cranky too. After mixing up the batter, Jungwoo turned on the stove to heat up the pan. As he waited for it to heat up, he popped in a kcup in the Keurig machine and grabbed a mug. He waited for the machine to fill it up before taking it off and walking towards the kitchen table. Jeno and Jaemin looked up at Jungwoo who was walking towards them.

 

“Here you go Nana, Renjun just told me how late you had to stay up. Hopefully this helps a bit.”

 

Jaemin took the mug from Jungwoo’s hands and help it for a bit, letting it warm up his hands. After blowing at the top to cool the liquid a bit, he takes a small sip and smiles.

 

Jungwoo returns to the pan and begins pouring batter onto it. He and Renjun take turns flipping them, giving the younger one permission to flip them in the air every once in a while. Jeno gets up to get them syrup, butter, and jam for the pancakes and starts up a mug of coffee for himself. 

 

Once they’re all sat at the counter, Jaemin immediately drowns his pancake stack in syrup. Renjun and Jeno watch in absolute horror and Jungwoo tries to not choke on his bite of pancake while laughing. 

 

“Nana…I think that’s enough syrup,” Jeno says softly.

 

Jaemin snaps his head to look at Jeno right in the eyes, “you can NEVER have enough you uncultured FOOL.”

 

Renjun spits his coffee and gets it all over his front. Jungwoo quickly comes to the rescue with some napkins.

 

“Put down the syrup. Now. Or me and Renjun aren’t buying you coffee later.”

 

Jaemin pouts but does as he’s told. Jungwoo finds their interactions absolutely hilarious. The two were always at their apartment for sleepovers or for a big dinner and Jungwoo loved having them over. 

 

“You guys are adorable. Kinda makes me miss Jaehyun,” Jungwoo says.

 

“Aren’t you guys going out to dinner tonight though?” His brother asks.

 

Jungwoo feels tears prick at his eyes and he quickly blinks them back. Jeno would get furious if he saw Jungwoo cry because of Jaehyun. It would just further make Jeno dislike him and distrust him even more. “Oh, something came up with his team and he had to cancel.”

 

“Again? He did this last time too and ended up being at a party.”

 

Jungwoo doesn’t like where the conversation is about to go, so he quickly tries to save it, “No no it’s for some meeting. And hes going to call me once I’m off work before he goes off to his meeting.”

 

“Okay Jungwoo. But I swear to god-"

 

Jungwoo cuts in, “don’t worry Jeno, everything is fine. Finish your breakfast you guys need to go to class soon right?”

 

They all nod and continue to eat in a comfortable silence. Jungwoo finishes up first and goes back to his room to finish getting ready. He had washed and ironed his scrubs the night before and he was super excited to get into them. Jungwoo got dressed and made sure to pack everything he was going to need for the day. He wouldn’t be off until 7 PM so he was going to need to make sure he had a good lunch and some snacks to keep him going.

 

Once he’s done, he walks out of his room and makes his way to the front door. He see’s the boys cleaning up the kitchen and getting the dishes in the sink so that they can be washed.

 

“Alright guys I’m off to work! I’ll be back at around 7 Jeno.”

 

“Good luck Jungwoo!” Chimed in Renjun and Jaemin.

 

“Okay Jungwoo, we’re probably going to see a movie tonight so I probably won’t be back until late,” Jeno says.

 

Jungwoo smiles, “that’s okay, just don’t forget your spare key this time okay?”

 

Jeno whines, “that was one time!”

 

Jungwoo laughs and pulls his younger brother in for a hug.

 

“Have a good day Jeno, I love you!”

 

Jeno responds, his voice muffled by him being squished by Jungwoo, “love you too bro.”

 

With that, Jungwoo puts on his shoes and heads for the hospital.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doyoung and Jungwoo finally meet, Jungwoo is excited for his future as a nurse, and major changes happen because of a text message.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright guys here's chapter 2! I hope you guys enjoy it and please pay attention to the updated tags. I won't go too much into detail but I hope that the tags are enough of a warning for the angst and sadness that is to come.
> 
> also I'm not a doctor or studying medicine in any way so all the medical things were stuff I researched on the internet so if I got something wrong I'm very very sorry I tried my best to research but I know it won't be perfect
> 
> twitter: [@gitterjungwoo](https://twitter.com/glitterjungwoo)
> 
> [curious cat](https://t.co/9wkpBhB3ap)
> 
> comments and kudos are appreciated I would love to know your thoughts and opinions <3

When Doyoung wakes up again, he feels a bit woozy and there’s weird pressure all over. He opens his eyes slowly, blinking rapidly as his eyes adjust to the bright lights. As his eyes come into focus, he looked around the room.

 

Doyoung quickly registered that he was in a hospital room and was laying in a hospital bed. There was an IV hooked up to him and he looked down to see that his arms and legs were wrapped up, one of his legs was in a cast and lifted. Doyoung felt bandages wrapped around his torso as well and could feel something sticking on his cheek.

 

There was a knock at the door and it opened. A man walks in and smiles when he sees Doyoung.

 

“I see you’re finally awake, how are you feeling right now?” The man asks.

 

“I’m feeling like pure shit to be honest.”

 

The man laughs and grabs a chair to sit down. “I figured the pain medicine and the anesthesia wearing off would make you feel a bit out of sorts. By the way, I’m doctor Qian Kun. I’ll be the one surveying you and making sure that your recovery is going well.”

 

“What the hell happened to me? I look and feel like a disaster.”

 

Kun responds, “well, where do I even start. You were immediately rushed into the intensive care unit after the ambulance picked you up from the scene of the crash. From what we were told, you were hit by a drunk driver after the ran a red light going about almost 65 downtown. They hit the drivers side door dead on, we were shocked that you weren’t dead on the scene to be honest. Consider you surviving, even with the amount of injuries you have, to be a blessing.”

 

Doyoung cringes, “did the other person…you know…”

 

Kun shakes his head, “they survived as well. Although their injuries aren’t as severe as yours. However, once they’re recovered they will have to face the law for driving under the influence and nearly killing you.”

 

“That’s good I guess, that none of us died. So how badly did I get fucked up from the crash?” Doyoung asks.

 

Kun reaches for a clipboard that was attached to the end of Doyoung’s hospital bed. As he flips through it he begins to explain to Doyoung his injuries, “Well to start, you got several lacerations on your body and one on your cheek from the broken glass. Your arm got the absolute worst of it. We are fortunate that the glass didn’t get anywhere on your face other than your cheek.”

 

Doyoung couldn’t imagine what it would be like if he had lost his vision from this. That’s a major part of his job and he didn’t want to envision what his life would become. His anxiety ridden mind was giving him terrifying and exaggerated scenarios and he tried to focus on the doctor as a distraction from it all.

 

“From the impact, your legs were also severely compromised. There was an open fracture on your right knee, which was reconstructed after surgery, and comminuted fractures on both of your tibias. Along with that, you had a few ribs fractured and lacerations from glass and metal from the crash. 

 

I’m surprised you didn’t get a more severe neck injury to be honest. I’m sure you have a case of whiplash and for the next few days we will monitor and see if you suffered a concussion from the accident. If you end up having one, we’ll need to do a CT scan and make sure there’s no internal bleeding.”

 

Doyoung sat there in absolute shock. No wonder he felt like shit. He moved around his head and sure enough, whiplash. 

 

“How long is it going to take to recover from all of this?” Doyoung asks hesitantly.

 

Kun sighs, “because of how severe your knee was fractured, it’ll take about a year to recover. It could be more or less based on how you react to treatment but that’s the general timeframe we are going for. Your fractures to your tibias will most likely take the same amount of time as well. We need to make sure that no infections occur or any other complications. Your three ribs fractured from direct trauma will recover in about six weeks. Once the pain medication we have you on fades you will definitely begin to feel them.”

 

At that moment there’s a knock at the door.

 

“Come in,” Kun announces and in walks in a nurse.

 

“Ten told me that you wanted to see me? Something about a new assignment?” The nurse asks. 

 

Doyoung can tell that they’re new. The way that they compose themselves and the subtle nervousness in his voice reminds Doyoung of the interns they get from time to time. They look young and the childlike features of their face contribute to that even more. There’s a urge to protect them building up inside of Doyoung but he wills it away once Kun begins speaking.

 

“Oh yes! Don’t by shy Nurse Kim, come on in.” Kun turns to Doyoung, “This is Nurse Kim Jungwoo, he’ll be the one that is in charge of checking up on you and making sure your bandages and casts are up to top shape. He will also be key in monitoring you for concussions or any other complications.”

 

Doyoung looks up to Nurse Kim and he feels his chest constrict at the way he smiles at him. “Hello, I’m Nurse Kim. I promise to do my best to make sure your stay here is as comfortable as possible.” Jungwoo bows and then looks to Kun for further instructions.

 

Before Kun can continue, however, Doyoung cuts in. “wait…what do you mean by stay? How long am I staying here?”

 

Kun looks at Doyoung, “well, your injuries are quite severe and we need to monitor you for any other complications that might have occurred. With your leg injuries it would be quite painful to keep moving you around so you will be hospitalized here for a month, and depending on what we find we may keep you here longer or discharge you and then have weekly appointments from that moment on.”

 

A month. Doyoung was going to be stuck here for an entire month.

 

Doyoung begins rambling in a panic, “No, no no no no. You don’t understand, I can’t be here for a month I-what about my job. I can’t just leave I need to-where’s my phone I need to call Sicheng-no no I can’t be here for a month I need-“ 

 

Jungwoo sits on on a chair that’s across from Kun and to the left of Doyoung’s bed. He brings himself closer and takes Doyoung’s bandaged hand.

 

Doyoung is practically hyperventilating at this point and Jungwoo needs to get him back to a calmer state, “hey, hey. Doyoung, listen to me. It’s going to be okay. Take deep breaths for me okay? Inhale and the hold your breath for a few seconds before exhaling slowly. I can’t have you hyperventilating its going to hurt your broken ribs.”

 

He does as Jungwoo guides him to do, and after a few repetitions he is still a little panicked but definitely not hyperventilating anymore. Jungwoo’s soft and soothing voice kept telling him to take a breath and to relax. In any other situation it would’ve made him irritated but for right now, he was feeling very thankful for Jungwoo’s calming presence. 

 

Once he was stable Jungwoo spoke to him, “I’ll bring you a bag full of your belongings that were recovered from the accident. I’m sure your phone is in there. Also, food will be brought to you soon as its almost lunchtime.”

 

Doyoung nods and he looks at Kun, “I’m sorry for freaking out…I’ve just…it’s been a lot to take in right now. I don’t know how much more I can handle without having a complete meltdown.”

 

“You don’t have to apologize Doyoung, I can completely understand how devastating the news may be and how it can definitely cause a strain for your routine that you were used to. I can tell you that this feeling won’t go away soon but we will do our best to make sure you are feeling okay both physically and mentally,” Kun responds.

 

The doctor puts the clipboard back and soon after the phone in the room rings. He runs over to take the call and after a short greeting and some exchanges he hangs up and looks at Jungwoo.

 

“I’m needed in the children’s ward, I’ll leave Doyoung to you, Jungwoo, and I’ll be back tomorrow to check up on your status. If there is any kind of emergency, please feel free to press the emergency pager next to your bed and we will immediately assist you.”

 

Both Doyoung and Jungwoo nod and Kun leaves them to run off to where he is needed.

 

“Alright Doyoung, I’m going to look over your files real quick. They gave me kind of a vague overview of what happened but I just want to see exactly what I’m going to be working with here, okay?” Jungwoo says.

 

Doyoung is quiet as Jungwoo looks through the clipboard that was on the end of his bed. His eyes were beginning to feel a bit droopy, he wrote it off in his head as being the result of his slight panic that he went through. He didn’t want to fall asleep while the nurse was in the room just in case that they needed to do something else, but it was getting harder and harder to fight against taking a nap.

 

Jungwoo finishes reading his file, and turns to him, “your file is very…extensive. They really gave me a lot to work with here as one of my first assignments…”

 

“I knew you were a new nurse,” Doyoung says.

 

The nurse groans, “how obvious was I? I’ve been trying to play it cool but clearly it isn’t working.”

 

“Don’t worry, I don’t think the average person would be able to notice. The only reason I did is because the company I work for gets a lot of interns and you had a similar energy that they do on their first day,” he replies.

 

Jungwoo looks a bit relieved, “oh thank God for that at least. Also, what type of energy is that may I ask?”

 

“Oh you know,” Doyoung tries to wave his hand around and ends up wincing from his broken ribs, "sorry I’m used to talking with my hands, I’ll have to get used to not being able to for a bit.”

 

Jungwoo nods his head in understanding and Doyoung continues.

 

“Anyways, you know that excited energy that people get whenever they’re doing something they’ve dreamed about. It’s all that happy and nervous energy that’s really innocent and refreshing. Nowadays a lot of people are very drained and have little hope in the world. It’s people with energy like yours and those new interns that really remind you that there is still good in the world you know?”

 

There is silence after Doyoung speaks and for a second he’s worried that he spoke way too much and weirded out his nurse. Jungwoo bows his head and prevents Doyoung from properly seeing his expression. When he hears a sniffle, however, he can already assume that he made Jungwoo cry.

 

“Nurse Kim? Are you okay? I’m sorry if what I said made you upset I should’ve just kept it short-”

 

Jungwoo cuts him off, “no, no. It’s okay I promise. It’s just...that’s one of the nicest things I’ve heard all day. Not even my boyfriend said something this kind to me. I really needed to hear that after the day I’ve been having.”

 

Doyoung feels terrible for the nurse, “don’t let a bad day make you lose hope. It can either be a good or a bad thing that it’s only your first day. There’s still hours ahead of you, maybe it’ll turn around.”

 

The nurse smiles, “you’re right. Thank you so much for that. Anyways, I’m pretty sure you want to get your phone now instead of listening to me ramble so I’ll go ahead and get your bag for you. Lunch should arrive soon since it is nearly 1 PM.”

 

Doyoung nods his head and with a small wave, Jungwoo leaves the room to retrieve his things. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After Jungwoo came back, he saw that Doyoung had his lunch with him. He handed the bag full of his belongings and it wasn’t long before Jungwoo was called to assist in a different section of the hospital. He had made sure that Doyoung was comfortable with his room and his bandages and casts before leaving the room. Jungwoo wouldn’t be back until the last hour of his shift to check up on his so he wanted to make sure that Doyoung would be okay until then. 

 

His first day at the hospital had been...interesting. After clocking in and getting settled, Jungwoo was greeted with friendly smiles from all the staff. 

 

Except for some of the senior nurses of the hospital.

 

In front of the head doctors, they were civil and respectful. However, once they had left, their demeanor quickly changed. There were occasional unnecessary comments coming from them about how Jungwoo was a newbie and was definitely going to cause issues in the hospital. He didn’t want to argue back, but it was so hard to not bite back at their off handed comments.

 

Yes, Jungwoo was new and not as experienced as them, but he didn’t go through nursing school and countless hours of studying to just be belittled and discouraged like this. He worked as hard as anyone else to get the job and he was not as lazy and careless as these older nurses were trying to make him feel.

 

He did his best to stay away and avoid listening to their conversations in passing, he had other things to do.

 

When Doctor Ten had told him that he would be getting assigned to a new patient that had been in a terrible car accident, Jungwoo heard two of the nurses that had been nearby begin making comments again once Ten left. 

 

“Why are they giving him such a difficult case on his first day? He’s not even going to be able to handle it! He’s only just finished nursing school and now he’s getting all the good cases handed to him! He’s probably going to mess up and-”

 

Jungwoo didn’t want to be around to hear the rest, and he didn’t want to retort and make things even worse for himself. He simply smoothed out his scrubs and made is way to his new assignment.

 

Although everyone in the hospital had been extremely kind to him and it was only a group of about 5 nurses giving him hell, it was easy to only focus on the negatives. Especially since his day had already started on a bad note with Jaehyun cancelling their date so easily. He didn’t want to dwell on the negatives, he tended to do so, and if not controlled it would literally ruin his whole day. However, with Jaehyun’s actions of lately making him feel less like a priority and more of a burden and these nurses berating him, it was starting to kill his self esteem little by little, and if it wasn’t for Johnny’s warm hug in the morning and reassuring words they would exchange in passing he would’ve probably snuck into the bathroom and cried.

 

He had told Johnny the gist of the situation during a short break they had and his close friend had hugged Jungwoo tightly when they noticed he was close to tears. If it weren’t for Johnny being there and being his loving and supportive self, Jungwoo would’ve lost his mind.

 

When he had met Kim Doyoung, Jungwoo was a bit nervous. Ten had been a bit vague in his description and with just being told “he was in a terrible car accident” his injuries could’ve ranged from a few broken bones to being in a coma. He was glad to see that Doyoung was very much not in a coma, but the amount of bandages and casts he was in was really shocking. Jungwoo had seen a lot of shit during his years in nursing school and in the training he went through before officially working in the hospital, but to see it all in person was a completely different feeling. 

 

Jungwoo felt happy that the head doctors had enough faith and confidence in him to assign him such a heavy case early on, he just wished he had a bit of that faith and confidence for himself.

 

But talking with Doyoung felt like a breath of fresh air that Jungwoo really needed. Although it was going to be hard, Jungwoo thought that as long as it’s with an easygoing patient like Doyoung, he’ll get by just fine. He also wasn’t a bad person to talk to which helped as well.

 

Throughout the day of just helping out the doctors whenever needed and meeting with patients of all ages, Jungwoo thought about what Doyoung said to him and it helped him stay a bit more positive when he would walk by a nurse that didn’t like him. 

 

As it got closer to 7 PM, Jungwoo was beginning to feel a bit sad. He tried not to remember it, but it was so hard to not feel disappointed at the fact that he would most likely have to eat leftovers instead of a five star meal at the Italian restaurant he was supposed to be at with Jaehyun. Although he told everyone that it was fine and that he wasn’t upset about it, it was really starting to take a toll on him as the day began to take a close.

 

Within the last thirty minutes of his shift, Jungwoo got ready to check on Doyoung. He brought the items that would be necessary to change his bandages and gauze and clean up the wounds as well. He was mostly concerned for how the lacerations were holding up.

 

When he entered the room, he saw that Doyoung was typing on his laptop. Although the bandages were all in the way, he managed to do so albeit a little slower than he was used to.

 

“Hi Mr. Kim, how is everything?” Jungwoo greets him.

 

Doyoung looks up from his computer and smiles, “oh you know, just doing a little work so I don’t fall behind. Some coworkers and close friends of mine visited and brought me my work laptop.”

 

“That’s good, staying productive is nice to pass the time but make sure that you are sleeping properly. It’ll help out the healing process in the long run,” Jungwoo advises.

 

Jungwoo brings over his cart of supplies and gets a chair to the side of Doyoung’s hospital bed. “Alright, I’m gonna need you to take a lil’ break from work so I can check up all your bandages and make sure everything is going fine. I’m mostly going to give you some fresh ones and make sure that you aren’t having symptoms of a concussion. That was one of the main concerns from Doctor Qian.”

 

Doyoung nods and shuts his computer close. He sits up straighter so that Jungwoo can survey his bandages a bit easier and winces from pain at the sudden movement.

 

Jungwoo notices and asks, “how is the pain from the broken ribs? Do you want me to administer some pain relievers for you so that you can sleep better throughout the night?”

 

“Maybe...just a little. Nothing too strong okay? I can handle it,” Doyoung replies.

 

Jungwoo nods and gentle takes a hold of his right arm. He gently loosens the adhesive and begins to remove the bandages. He removes one first, inspects the wound, and then closes it up quickly with fresh bandages. The process takes a bit of time with the amount of lacerations that Doyoung had on his arm and the two end up having a small conversation in between.

 

“What was it that you were working on if you don’t mind me asking? What’s your job like?” Jungwoo asks.

 

“Oh we just look over companies finances and assist in business deals if they need it. Since it’s getting around tax season we’re getting clients like crazy right now. I’ve been working overtime hours for the past two months nearly every day just trying to get to everyone.”

 

“Your girlfriend must be really lonely then huh? Not being able to see you so often,” Jungwoo says.

 

Doyoung coughs, “well good thing she doesn’t exist then right? I’m actually not really into women either so I think I’ll be good.”

 

“O-oh I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have assumed, here I go doing the very thing I hate that people do to me.” 

 

Doyoung laughs, “it’s okay, we all do it eventually. I’m sure we both have had our fair share of heteronormativity.”

 

“Trust me, sometimes when I’m out with my boyfriend people will assume that we’re friends even though we’re holding hands.”

 

The conversation becomes more quiet then, at the mention of his boyfriend Jungwoo starts to feel a bit sad again and he knows he didn’t do a good job of hiding it when Doyoung asks him if everything is alright with his arm.

 

“Oh yes everything is going fine. The wounds are doing well and there’s no sign of possible infections for now. Sorry for zoning out a bit, I have a lot on my mind, but nothing that you need to worry about,” Jungwoo says.

 

Doyoung doesn’t press for more info, seeing that it’s a sensitive topic, and instead mentions that he misses his younger brother.

 

“Oh I have a younger brother as well!” Jungwoo says, “we actually live together while he’s attending college.”

 

“I wish I was able to see my brother more often, he goes to a university out of state and he’s been really busy with projects so we don’t talk as often.”

 

Jungwoo closes up the last bandage and smiles at him, “hopefully you two will be able to talk soon, how do the bandages feel? Is anything too tight or itchy?”

 

Doyoung looks down at his freshly bandages arms, he doesn’t feel any type of discomfort or pain. “Everything feels nice, thank you Nurse Kim.”

 

“Alright, that’s good to hear, how’s your head feeling? Any dizziness or headaches?” Jungwoo asks.

 

Doyoung thinks a bit before answering, “I’m not sure if it’s dizziness but I do feel headaches. At times it does hurt quite a bit but I don’t think I feel dizzy?”

 

“Alright, I’m going to report this to Doctor Qian and see what he says. I’m guessing that you do have a concussion but maybe not so severe. I’ll see what he says tomorrow,” Jungwoo replies.

 

Jungwoo checks Doyoung’s casts and then asks him to move his hospital gown so he can check the bruising on his ribs. The spots were really dark and scary looking, they would definitely take a few weeks to completely heal. Jungwoo gently touched around the area and Doyoung held in his breath from the pain.

 

“The bruising is definitely going to take a long time to go down, that car really did a number on you. Also, I know you want to stay productive but please do not stay up too late on your computer. I don’t want it giving you a terrible headache and you need the proper rest anyways,” Jungwoo says.

 

Doyoung sighs, “fine...I guess I’ll listen, but I’m not gonna be happy about it.”

 

Jungwoo smiles, “That’s fine by me just as long as you do what I’ve advised. You’ll thank me tomorrow morning when you feel refreshed and without a killer headache. Do you need anything else before I go? An extra pillow or a blanket?”

 

“No I think I’ll be okay for now. Thank you Nurse Kim for everything. Especially for calming me down earlier today... I haven’t gone into a panic like that for months,” Doyoung says.

 

“It’s my job to make sure you are in good health, both mentally and physically. I’m just glad that I can help you recover from such a terrible accident.”

 

With that, Jungwoo picks up his things and says goodbye to Doyoung for the day. For his first day as a nurse, Jungwoo felt like he had learned so much. From working with people of all ages, Jungwoo felt himself quickly adjusting to the fast paced job and he was excited for what tomorrow would bring. After clocking out he checked his phone and saw a few texts and snapchats from his brother. When Jungwoo opened them as he walked to his car he smiled seeing the pictures of Jeno with his two boyfriends on their date. 

 

After a series of photos there was a ten second video of Jaemin proceeding to fill their soda cup with every single drink from the soda machine and Renjun trying, but failing miserably, to stop him. Jeno’s loud laugh could be heard behind the camera and the video ends with Jaemin taking a big sip.

 

Jeno’s text were just him informing Jungwoo that he wouldn’t be home until 11 and that he had his keys. Jungwoo told him to be extra safe and to have fun on his date before putting away his phone.

 

On the drive back home, Jungwoo thought about his future as a nurse. He felt so happy excited about how the rest of his life was going to look like that he forgot about the call from his boyfriend that never came. Jungwoo was so happy that nothing could phase him in this moment.

 

Well, except for a video from Johnny showing Jaehyun at a bar dragging a girl he didn’t know into the restroom. 

 

Jungwoo had gotten inside his apartment and changed out of his scrubs into some soft pajamas when he heard his phone go off 3 consecutive times. He figured it was Jaehyun letting him know that he was ready to call him, but Jungwoo was suprised to see them all from Johnny.

 

He unlocked his phone and tapped on his messages and what he saw made Jungwoo fall to his knees.

 

_Johnny: I came to the bar for some drinks with some of my friends to celebrate my first day and it was packed because of some sports team? Anyways isn’t this guy your boyfriend? He looks just like the pictures you’ve shown me but I didn’t know if it was him because he had been dancing with and kissing this girl all night._

 

After the initial message there was a picture and a video attached. The picture was a bit dark due to the lighting of the bar but Jungwoo could clearly make out Jaehyun’s body up against another girl’s, grabbing her arms and leaning in for a kiss. With tears in his eyes and shaky hands, Jungwoo played the video and saw Jaehyun with the girl going into the restroom together. He didn’t need to see anymore to know what had just happened.

 

Jungwoo didn’t want to call Jeno and bother him on his date. He figured that they were probably watching the movie and Jeno would have his phone on silent so he texted a quick Jeno I need you. It’s about Jaehyun and Jungwoo hopes that his brother understands.

 

He sat on the floor of his bedroom, shaking and crying at the terrible revelation that he was sent. Jungwoo was hurt and heartbroken, and his self esteem was in the dumps. He questioned on and on about what he did wrong or what he was lacking that made Jaehyun go to someone else. Jungwoo knew that their relationship wasn’t the easiest, they couldn’t see each other as often as they wanted and they were both busy with their jobs. He just never expected Jaehyun to go behind his back like this, and Jungwoo wondered if this was the first and only time. If it were not for Johnny being there, Jungwoo would’ve been absolutely clueless and would look like an absolute fool standing next to Jaehyun while he was off cheating on him behind his back.

 

After the initial sadness faded, Jungwoo began to feel anger. He felt betrayal and hurt and a need for vengeance. Jungwoo ran to the kitchen and grabbed a big trash bag and then returned to his room. One by one, all the teddy bears and photo frames went into the trash. Anything that reminded Jungwoo of that cheater went right into the garbage. Expensive hoodies and shirts that Jaehyun had lent him were set aside for donation, but everything else was tossed. 

 

Jungwoo didn’t know how much time he spent doing all of this, but by the time he had filled two bags Jeno had returned with his two boyfriends in tow.

 

Jeno grabbed onto Jungwoo, who was pacing around the house looking for anything else that was from Jaehyun, “Jungwoo! What happened? Do I need to kill him? Tell me and I’ll hunt him down. I’ll make him regret hurting you.”

 

Jungwoo looked at his brother and completely broke down in tears again. “J-Jeno. He cheated on me...he....he cheated on me and forgot to call and I-” 

 

Renjun and Jaemin came up to the pair and hugged Jungwoo tightly. They guided him to the living room couch and they all sat together in a pile. As Jeno took out his phone and made a call, Renjun and Jaemin held Jungwoo and rubbed his back as he cried into their shoulders. 

 

Jeno sighed, “of course this fucker didn’t answer, I’m leaving him a fucking voicemail.”

 

His brother was now fuming and Jungwoo wanted to calm him down, but the only thing that he could do was cry and listen to Jaemin and Renjun trying to coax him.

 

“Jaehyun, its Jeno. Don’t ever come near me and my brother or near our home ever again. I’m saying this for your safety because if I have to see your face I swear to God I won’t hesitate to knock your teeth in. My brother was always way too good for you and I knew it all along. I hope that girl at the bar was a good enough reason to ruin a whole relationship with my brother who did nothing but love you. Fuck you.”

 

When Jeno ended the message, he threw his phone on the couch and walked towards Jungwoo. He unwrapped his hands from Jaemin and Renjun so that he could cradle Jungwoo against his tummy. Jungwoo clung to his younger brother and cried into his t-shirt.

 

“Jeno...don’t kill him,” Jungwoo said with a hoarse voice.

 

“Oh I won’t kill him, I’ll just mess up his pretty face enough. You tell me if he tries talking to you, I’ll beat his ass.”

 

Renjun goes off to the kitchen to find the ice cream and Jaemin turns on the television to open up Netflix. He picks on the first funny movie he sees and motions for Jeno to sit down next to Jungwoo. 

 

When Renjun comes back, he has a tub of vanilla ice cream that Jeno had brought home the other day. With four spoons in his hand for all of them, they all get comfy and dig in. Jungwoo is still shaking a bit but is no longer crying, just sniffling as he takes bite after bite of ice cream. 

 

After about two comedies in, Jungwoo is calm and no longer sniffling. He still feels a bit broken inside but with his brother and his boyfriends with him, it’s helped Jungwoo to not wallow in his room under 10 layers of blankets. He’s now just under one blanket getting cuddled by people that love and care for him.

 

When Renjun and Jaemin eventually have to leave, they give Jungwoo a big hug and two kisses on the cheek. They tell Jungwoo that they hope he feels better and if he needs a good cuddle session that they are always down to make him happy. Jeno walks his boyfriends to their car and leaves Jungwoo alone in his apartment. 

 

Jungwoo picks up the blankets and folds them neatly on the couch. He makes sure to turn off the TV and put away everything that they used. When Jeno comes back, Jungwoo walks around the house quietly. He’s going through his night routine like a ghost, Jungwoo is silent and emotionless as he puts on his night cream.

 

Jeno looks extremely concerned for his brother and does his best to comfort him. When it’s time for them to get into bed, Jungwoo says quietly, “Jeno...I don’t want to sleep in my room. Can I sleep with you?”

 

His brother smiles sadly and nods, “sure you can, you don’t need to ask Jungwoo.”

 

Jungwoo nods and quickly gets into Jeno’s room. He chooses the side of the bed closest to the wall and curls up into a ball under the covers.

 

Jeno makes sure to turn off all the lights in the apartment and double checks that the door is locked before running back to his room. Jungwoo is still awake and chewing on his bottom lip. 

 

“Jeno, can you bring me my phone?” Jungwoo asks.

 

His brother looks at him with concern, “Jungwoo...I don’t think that’s a good idea...”

 

“No! I’m not going to text you know...I just need it for my alarm and if there’s any emergencies. I promise.”

 

Jeno hesitates for a bit before eventually going into Jungwoo’s room and retrieving his phone. Out of curiousity, he taps on the screen and sees that there’s no new messages from anyone. Jeno sighs in relief and returns to his room. 

 

When Jungwoo is handed his phone, he sets some alarms for himself and gives it back to Jeno so it can be plugged in to charge. Jeno turns off the main light in his room and gets into his bed next to Jungwoo.

 

Once they’re both settled in, Jungwoo hugs Jeno’s arm. He begins to sniffle again, taken a bit by a sudden rush of emotions and he says, “thank you Jeno, for being here. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

 

“You don’t have to thank me silly, it’s our job to protect each other. I know you would do the same for me,” his brother responds.

 

Jungwoo laughs and snuggles into Jeno’s side. The two of them slowly fall asleep and Jungwoo gets some well deserved rest.

 

Whatever happens tomorrow, Jungwoo felt safe knowing that he had a brother and friends that loved him and looked out for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter: [@gitterjungwoo](https://twitter.com/glitterjungwoo)
> 
> [curious cat](https://t.co/9wkpBhB3ap)

**Author's Note:**

> twitter: [@glitterjungwoo](https://twitter.com/glitterjungwoo)  
> [curious cat](https://t.co/9wkpBhB3ap)


End file.
